Space Empires 5

[capnq]

I'd like to see randomized damage: instead of a fixed amount, let the listed damage be the average at that range.

Warp point and storm damage should be randomized, too. You shouldn't be able to tell the exact amount of armor you need to get through safely.

"Borderless" combat screen.

[Gandalph]

Many of the suggestions I see here would be welcome additions to this great game, however, I see many of the posters saying "like such-and-such game". I don't want to see SE V like any other game. It is the individuality of this game that sets it apart from others. If you want the play style of another game, go buy the other game and leave this one to its greatness.

[geoschmo]

Gandalph, I agree with you to a point. I think it's ok to add features that are used and liked in other games, as long as SEV also remains distinctly SE. The thing that sets SE apart from the pack of 4X games, and the thing that SEV simply must have in my mind to retain that mantle, is the customizability. It was hinted at in SE2, came to life in SEIII, and truely blossomed in SEIV. That is the one critical factor which has to be kept IMHO.

Geoschmo

[mac5732]

When you put ships on patrol in a system, they would automatically try and intercept any enemy fleet entering, this would of course be restricted to their movement allowances or you could even have several strategies for them, such as, 1 identify-do nothing, 2 intercept, 3 flee to nearest friendly in system base, etc.

just some ideas mac

[Barnacle Bill]

Diplomacy change - treaties require mutual recognition of claims, so the deal establishing the treaty has to divy up the contested systems somehow (with "share" as an available option for any particular system as part of the deal). Once the treaty is in place, whichever party claims a new system first puts it off-limits to claims by treaty partners. No colonizing in systems claimed by treaty partners. No trespassing in systems claimed by treaty partners unless you have a treaty granting access. Ideally, you could either negociate right of passage agreements on an individual basis or a general agreement (automatically granted to the stronger side in a Protectorate or Subjugation, but only to the stronger side). Military treaties would be in two levels, the first being just a pledge to go to war against the aggressor if your ally is attacked, the higher allowing the partners mutual right of passage to the entirety of each other's empires plus refueling rights.

Generally, a more EU-like diplomacy system include the very large number of independent nations (I think 208 possible in EU2). Of course, there would need to be way over 255 possible systems. I think I'd like to say up to 200 races and over 2000 systems.

Hexes instead of squares for both the system & tactical maps.

Realistic and much larger system maps, something akin to the system maps in Starfire. Asteroids should be actual belts.

A much larger tactical map, so big that a ship of the highest possible speed can run in a straight line without hitting the edge before the turn limit. If you are out of weapons range and the enemy has no ship faster than your slowest, you should be able to hit "retreat" and not play out all the tactical turns.

A solution to the missile dance. My preference is proportional movement a la Star Fleet Battles. An acceptable substitute would be the ability to give your ships "opportunity fire" orders with a range limit, a la Steel Panthers. Maybe an option to have it work either way, the former being better for single player and the later for Online MP.

An optional type of star drive that works without warp points. You would only be able to activate it from a sector at the edge of the system map. You could jump to any system within range (range limit increasing with tech) within a certain arc centered on the sector from which you depart. You would appear in the sector of your choice in the target system within an arc around the straight line between the stars. Of course, you would not see the contents of the target system before picking your entry sector, unless you already had something there. Using game set-up,you should be able to sel;ect which method (jump drive or warp points) works in your game, or maybe both if you like.

The ability to nest fleets.

[Fyron]

Asteroids should be actual belts.

Can be modded. Check out Fyron's Quadrant Mod.

[rand029]

Seeing how SE got it's start from the pen and paper game Starfire (which is actually going digital from what I hear - though as a "quasi real time"), how about Starfire "jump engines"...
Still use warp points, but you can jump in system by 1 or 2 squares... Would make minefields actual fields, and Warp Point defense would suddenly become more interesting.

I agree with the borderless combat map, and I could go either way on the interface (though standard windows is easier to hide at work )

Another idea: Space Yards with multiple docks/slips/whatever. You can build multiple ships at once, but the space yard resources are divided among them. So you wouldn't have to scrap that half done Battlecruiser if you needed another escort or transport in a hurry.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by rand029:
Another idea: Space Yards with multiple docks/slips/whatever. You can build multiple ships at once, but the space yard resources are divided among them. So you wouldn't have to scrap that half done Battlecruiser if you needed another escort or transport in a hurry.

Ooo, I like this idea now. I don't want to wait for SE5. And not just for space yards, do it for planetary yards as well. You actually wouldn't need to allow multiple yards, just allow the person to move a project down in the queue without losing acculumlated work done on it.

Originally SEIV had something like this where you could move a project up and the work already done would get applied towards the new project. That was taken out because it was considered a way to cheat because you could start work on an expensive ship that you never intended to build, and then switch it at the Last minute to an expensive ships that you wanted, but didn't have the tech for when you started. This would eliminate that cause you couldn't change the design once it's in the queue, but still allow flexibility. As long as you didn't take the project completely out of the queue it could keep the work accumulated while you work on other projects that you start from scratch. Much like intel or research quese now operate.

And if you could have the excess construction left over after one ship was done to go towards the next ship in line...

Geoschmo

[ July 10, 2002, 20:31: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[TerranC]

I don't think Space Space yards should do that; they already have low rates as it is!

But for planetary space yards... It would be very nice. Especially for massively populated ones with happiness stocked up with the latest space yard.

This way, you can keep churning out starships, and your enemy has a new important target to destroy.

[Captain Kwok]

Some items I would like to see for Space Empires V include:

• 3D Map of Galaxy and increased maximum # of systems
• Several levels of zoom for maps
• Larger or scalable (with zoom feature) mini images for ships
• More types of abilities
• Optional starting tech levels
• Improved interface
• Improved diplomacy
  

I would like the game to remain turn based and not use real time 3D engine garbage.